Page 50 of Foxed Up

With that he left the room, leaving me stunned. No wonder he looked so angry and fierce. He'd lost his own partner. And I could very easily have lost mine. I looked at the captain, sighed. "I've got to get back to the hospital, sir."

"Could you talk to Alex 'Lexie' No-Last-Name first? He's climbing the walls and won't cooperate."

My heart sank. Yet another thing to keep me away from my partner's side. "Captain, are you sure you should be keeping him?"

When the helicopter had arrived to pick up Wallace, Lexie had been ready to bolt. The captain had instructed officers to retain him as a material witness, thinking we might need his testimony and perhaps need to protect him from retribution for helping us. But with his skittishness and fear of cops, it was a match made in hell.

The captain looked defeated, worn down to a brittle core. "These fucking shifters," he muttered. I pretended I hadn't heard that, just looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.

At last he gave me a weary nod and waved a hand towards the door, slumping down in his chair as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "Get him to give you an address and let him go."

"He won't have a permanent one. We have Wallace back because of him, sir. We shouldn't punish him for helping us."

"Dammit." He massaged his forehead. "All right. See if you can get anything, any single fucking thing, and then let him go."

"Yes sir."

I went to the room where they were trying to talk to him and jerked a thumb towards the door. "Captain's orders. We're releasing him," I told Bowen.

The frightened young fox shifter, who had been jittering in place, had tear-streaks down his cheeks, and looked like he was having his worst day on record, leapt to his feet, joy surging to his face. He moved towards me quickly, not glancing back.

"But we were just getting somewhere!" protested Officer Bowen.

"Talk to the captain."

Lexie moved to stand next to me, clearly wanted protection, and I went ahead and put an arm around him and led him out of the room. Then I gave him my jacket, because he seemed cold, and didn't talk to him until we were in the parking lot.

He stayed close to me. Even as distressed as he was, tearstained and in ratty jeans and an inadequate shirt, he moved with elegance. He would always have a grace about him. No wonder people wanted him for his body. But he should be wanted for more than that.

"Anything to tell me?" I asked him in the parking lot, adjusting the collar of my jacket. It was too big on him.

He shook his head, looking at me with large, vulnerable, wounded eyes. "Is Wallace going to make it?" he asked in a hoarse little voice.

"Yes. They said he will, anyway. He's pretty banged up, in and out of consciousness. Best guess we're getting is that he was beaten up pretty badly in his escape attempt, but did eventually get away. Then one of them winged him in the arm with a small-caliber bullet. It was more a nick than a direct hit, but he still lost a lot of blood. He's alive thanks to you, Lexie. Thank you."

Lexie bit his lip. "Does he need any b-blood?" He gestured to his own arm, looking nervous and a little sick.

"No, they had enough on hand." I gave him an avuncular pat on the arm. "You have somewhere to go?"

"N-not really." He looked down at his feet.

"Well, look, I really owe you. You saved Wallace's life. Maybe I can put you up somewhere for a while, till you figure out what you're going to do. You shouldn't have to run. You've been through a lot."

"I don't want to stay at the police station," he said quickly.

I laughed, a strange, strangled sound. "No fucking kidding. I was thinking a hotel room or something. I know Wallace will want to speak to you, to thank you, when he's able."

Lexie hesitated, worrying his lower lip. "Well, I — I could stay with you, couldn't I? That wouldn't cost anything." He looked up at me from under long lashes, his gaze shy and trusting.

I blinked. "Okay." Mom could keep Eli at her place for a little longer. Wallace would help me decide what to do next. Right now I just needed to get back to him. "Okay. I'll drop you off there and then go to the hospital. Is that okay? Do you need anything first?"

Lexie shook his head fast and wrapped his arms around himself. "I'd like that."

I didn't invite him to the hospital and he didn't offer to go along. He'd had a rough day and was at the end of his rope. I drove him to my place, not without a few misgivings along the way, and let him inside, reminding myself that, even if he robbed me blind and trashed the place — neither of which I actually suspected him of planning — I would still owe him. He'd saved Wallace's life, and that was a debt I could never repay.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. Borrow my clothes, take a shower, whatever you need to do. I don't know when I'll be able to make it back, so don't stand on ceremony."

"Okay," he said, looking shyer than ever, intimidated by his surroundings in this small middle-class home, and as if he felt very out of place. "Thank you."